Acoustic telephone



(NoModeL) 0. 8B W. .S. HIGGINS, 81; J. GRIM.

ACOUSTIC TELEPHONE.

No.l273.079. Patented Feb.27, 1883.

I X'XW iwvewiova,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OLIVER HIGGINS, IVALTER S. HIGGINS, AND JOSEPH GEIM, OF NAPOLEON,

OHIO.

ACOUSTIC TELEPHONE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 273,079, dated February 27, 1883.

Application filed November 30, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it hwy concern:

Be it known that we, OLIVER HIGGINS,

WALTER Soorr HIGGINS, and J s. GEIM, of

Napoleon, county of Henry, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Acoustic Telephone; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon.

Our invention relates to certain improvements in telephones of the class known as acoustic telephones, and has for its object the construction of the device so that it will vocalizing chamber or sound concentrator.

Figs. 3 and at are hangers for conveying the wire over such obstacles as would prevent its vibration.

In Fig. 1,*A is a square box of wood, having the back removable and fastened by screws. B is a wooden bowl-shaped chamber, having the parchment diaphragm or talking medium 0 tightly fastened thereon and held by the wire binding 0. D is a diaphragm of wood, made of two pieces fastened together, with the grain in opposite directions, which permits it to be made very thin and exquisitely sensitive to sound and vibration. This has a hole through the center, through which the wire F passes, said wire passing through button E, being held by the enlarged terminal or twisted 40 end F. These parts are more clearly shown in Fig. 2, where it will be seen that the wire F has a knob or button on the end to prevent its displacement from diaphragm D when in operation. This knob also serves to bring the two diaphragms into close contact and vibratory connection with wire F. The parchment diaphragm O is drawn tightly over the mouth of the vocaIizing-chamber B and firmly seincrease the efficiency and volume of sound cured by a wire wrapping within the groove made in the wooden chamber B for that purpose, the ends of said wire being twisted together at c. Diaphragm D is composed of two pieces of wood veneers fastened together and then planed down as thin as possible, care being taken that the grain or fiber of the wood in the two veneers cross each other at right angles or opposite directions to prevent warping or twisting. Such diaphragms possess much more sensitiveness and more readily respond to atmospheric vibrations than those of any other materials we have tried, or that have heretofore been in use.

Figs. 3 and at are insulated hangers, made in any desirable form, for the purpose of conveying the conducting-wires over any obstacles on the line tending to-interrupt the vi bration, and require no special description, G being a loop of cord through which line-wire passes, hung on a wire and suspended loosely upon wire frame II 1, allowing the line-wire to vibrate freely at points of contact.

Having fully described our improvement, we wish to state what we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A. telephonic instrument composed of a chamber, B, parchment diaphragm O, and wood diaphragm D in immediate contact, in connection with line-wire F, and held in place by button E and knob F, constructed in the manner and for the purposes set forth and described.

2. The combination of diaphragms Oand D, of parchment and wood, respectively, in intimate contact with chamber B, line-wire F, button E, and knob F, arranged for telephonic purposes substantially as shown and de scribed, and for the purposes stated.

' This specification signed and witnessed this 7th day of September, .1881.

OLIVER HIGGINS. WALTER SCOTT HIGGINS. JOSEPH GRIM.

Witnesses H. H. FnENcII, E. L. HARTMAN. 

